Temporary support for teeth



Feb. 8, 1944. s. MYERSON TEMPORARY SUPPORT FOR TEETH Filed Jan. 21, 1941 Patented Feb. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TEMPORARY SUPPORT. FOR TEETH Simon Myerson, Brookline, Mass.

Application January 21, 1941, Serial No. 375,223

13 Claims. (01. 32-71) This invention pertains to temporary supports or holders for artificial teeth, in particular to an appliance comprising means operative temporarily and removably to hold a plurality of artificial teeth so disposed as to simulate natural teeth socketed in the gum or to simulate artificial teeth permanently mounted in a denture. Such holders are useful, for example, for holding a plurality of teeth, for instance six anterior teeth, in proper relative position during shipment and in such a way as to display the teeth to great advantage and also for observing the group effect of a plurality of artificial teeth, as they would appear in the mouth but before the teeth are permanently mounted in a denture, all as more fully disclosed in the application of Simon Myerson, Serial No. 313,077, filed January 9, 1940. A generally similar holder is also useful as an impression tray or partial impression tray in which teeth may be adjustably and interchangeably mounted and which, after an impression has been taken, becomes a trial plate, all as more fully disclosed in the copending application of Simon Myerson, Serial No. 366,321 filed November 20, 194=0-the present invention constituting an improvement over the tooth holding devices disclosed in the aforesaid applications,

An essential feature of the holder or tray disclosed in the above applications is a transversely extending groove, recess or chamber within which the gingival ends of the teeth are located and which contains a body of tooth-attaching material, for instance, dental wax, by means of which the teeth are removably held in place.

This Wax-receiving groove, recess or chamber, as disclosed in said applications has a roof or rear wall whose posterior surface engages the gum ridge and also has an anterior wall which overlaps the labial surfaces of the neck portions of teeth mounted in the holder. Such holders as are disclosed in the aforesaid applications have proven of great value to the dental profession, but the roof and anterior wall just referred to impose some degree of limitation upon the adjustment of the teeth. Thus, for example, the roof prevents upward adjustment of the teeth to the extent where their gingival ends actually contact the gum ridge, and in cases where a very short bite is called for, interferes with the ideal location of the teeth in the holder. Likewise the forward position of the gingival ends of the teeth is limited by the anterior wall so that it is sometimes difiicult to tip the gingival ends of the teeth as far forward as might be desired to meet certain unusual or abnormal conditions. Moreover, when the holder is employed as an impression tray and trial plate, it is a little difficult to remove the holder after the model has been poured, without displace ment of the teeth.

Objects of the present invention are to pro vide a holder of the general type above referred to but so designed and arranged as to provide greater freedom in arrangement of the teeth, for example, to permit the gingival ends of the teeth actually to contact the gum ridge if desired, and also to permit said ends to be moved forwardly as far as may be necessary to obtain proper efiects. I

A further object is to provide a holder useful as an impression tray or trial plate so devised that it may readily be divided to facilitate removal from the model after the latter has been poured and set.

An added advantage of the construction herein disclosed is that less material is required in making an acceptable holder than in making holders such as disclosed in the aforesaid ap plications, this being a desirable feature particularly when the materialemployed in making the holder is expensive, as is true at the present time of some of the synthetic resins which, in other characteristics, are extremely desirable for the purpose.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation illustrating a holder embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the holder of 1:

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, to larger scale, substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2, and illus trating the location of the holder with reference to the gum ridge of the human mouth when the holder is to be employed for observing the effect of teeth within the mouth;

Fig; 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a tooth arranged within the holder;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modified and preferred construction;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 5, to larger scale, showing the holder applied to the gum ridge and containing a body of tooth-' attaching material;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5; i

Fig. 7 is a view generally similar to Fig. 6 but showing a tooth mounted in the holder;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the holder of Fig. with a set of teeth arranged therein;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but showing a tooth having its upper end tipped forward abnormally;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but illustrating how the holder may be divided to facilitate certain dental operations;

Fig. 11 is a section to larger scale on the line H-ll of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a section on the line I2-! 2 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a plan view of a holder of modified construction also embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 14 is a vertical section on the line i i-l4 of Fig. 13 but to larger scale, and showing the holder applied to the gum ridge and with a tooth mounted inthe holder; and

Fig. 15 is a vertical section illustrating the principle of the invention as applied to a complete impression tray designed to hold both anterior and posterior teeth.

Referring to the drawing, the holder illustrated herein is preferably made as a unitary body by moulding it from an appropriate mouldable material. Among such materials are vulcanite or hard rubber such as commonly employed for making dentures; certain cellulose derivatives or synthetic resins, for example resins derived from methacrylic acid, such materials being more fully referred to in the copending application Serial No. 313 077, above referred to; or if pre ferred, the holder may be made from non-corrosive appropriate metal, for example, gold or stainless steel, suitably colored or enameled.

The holder illustrated in Figs. 1 to l inclusive, is quite similar in general to the holder disclosed in the copending application just referred to in so far as its general external appearance and contour are concerned, being curved in horizontal planes and having a rear surface or surfaces contoured to fit snugly against the human gum ridge. However, the present holder comprises vertically spaced transverse bars, the lower or rear bar I preferably being provided with an integral attaching tab or lug 2, for use in handling the device or to facilitate its attachment to other parts. The upper or forward bar 3 is vertically spaced from the lower bar, the bars being united only at their lateral ends as indicated by connecting members 4 and 5. As the holder is of unitary integral construction the connections between the upper and lower bars at the points 4 and 5 consist of integral portions of the upper bar which are extended downwardly and integrally joined to the lower bar. As shown in Fig. 2, the radius of curvature of the upper bar is less than that of the lower bar so that at the central portion, at least, of the holder, the upper bar projects forwardly of the lower bar.

The anterior surface 6 of the upper bar is preferably contoured to simulate the anterior surface of the gum ridge and the lower edge of the bar 3 may be scalloped, so as to provide downwardly and rearwardly directed cusps I and recesses 8, the cusps being designed to enter between the neck portions of adjacent teeth when such neck portions are disposed in the recesses 8. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 4 the upper bar 3 is extended downwardly, as shown at 3 to provide an anterior wall for the longitudinally extending slot ll intervening between the bars I and 3, such downwardly extending anterior wall overlapping the neck portions of teeth T mounted in the holder, as indicated in Fig. 4. Preferably the opposed surfaces 9 and iii of the bars 3 and 1 respectively are concavely curved so as to furnish a good anchorage for a body W (Fig. 6) of tooth-attaching material which initially fills the channel or slot H before the teeth are put in place.

When this holder is placed in the mouth in proper operative position, the posterior surfaces of the bars I and 3 directly contact the gum ridge l3 but since the bars I and 3 are completely separated throughout the length of the channel or slot II, it is possible, when inserting the neck portions of the teeth into the body W of attach- 7 ing material, to push the teeth upwardly within the channel or slot I I (Fig. 4) until their gingival ends l2 actually contact the crest of the gum ridge [3, and with the attaching pins at the lingual side of the tooth embedded in, the material W. It is thus possible to adjust teeth vertically within this holder throughout a greater range than can be done in the holder disclosed in the aforesaid application Serial No. 313,077. This is very desirable under some conditions, for example where a very short bite is called for and the tooth must be set as close to the gum ridge as possible in the completed denture.

In Figs. 5 to 9, a modified and preferred construction is illustrated. The holder comprises a bottom bar I, preferably provided with the attaching lug or tongue 2, and a top or forward bar spaced from the bottom bar so as to provide between them the elongate transversely extendchannel or slot H the top and bottom bars being integrally joined at the ends of this slot or channel by horizontally thin integral portions 2 and 5 of the holder. In this modified construction the anterior surface 5 of the upper bar 3 is also contoured to simulate the anterior surface of the human gum ridge, but in this instance the lower edge 3 of the bar 3 1s substantially smooth, that is unprovided with downwardly directed cusps, and this lower edge 33 does not extend downwardly (Fig. 6) so as to overhang the slot or channel H although it tapers downwardly to form the thin edge E. The opposed edges 9 and iii of the bars 3* and i are preferably so contoured as to provide good anchorage for the body W (Fig. 6 of tooth-attaching material, such for example as dental wax. In this construction, as in that previously described, the teeth T may be so set in the body W of attaching material that their gingival ends 12 (Fig. 7) actually contact the crest of the gum ridge 5% when the device is placed in the patients mouth. However, with this preferred construction in which the lower part of the bar 3 does not comprise a downwardly directed wall overhanging the channel or slot II, it is possible to move the neck portions of the teeth as far forward a may be desired or to tip the teeth so that their gingival ends are dis posed further forward than would be possible in the construction of l to 4, wherein the downwardly directed part 3 limits forward movement of the gingival ends of the teeth. Thus as illustrated in Fig. 9, the tooth '1 may be so tipped that while its neck portion N is within the upper forward portion of the channel 8 i the gingival surface E2 is spaced substantially forward from the crest of the gum ridge. In this form of holder it is desirable to extend a portion W (Fig, 8) of the tooth-attaching material so as to overlie the neck portions of the teeth and to fill the spaces between the neck portions of adjacent teeth, thus providing somewhat the same eifect as is produced by the downwardly directed cusps '5 of the device shown in Fig. 1.

When the holder is to be used as an impression tray it i mployed in the same manner as described in the copending application of Myerson, Serial No. 366,321, above referred to, but after the holder or tray with its attached teeth has been placed in the flask and the teeth invested and the flask again opened it has sometimes been somewhat difficult to remove the unitary holder or tray from the model without disturbing the teeth. The holder or tray herein disclosed facilitates this operation since the material at the points t and 5, which is the only connection between the forward and rear parts of the holder or tray, is quite thin horizontally, as indicated in Figs. 11 and 12, so that it is readily possible, for example, by the use of a dental burr or the like, to cut through the connecting portions 4 and 5, as indicated at i and i5 (Fig. 10) thus completely separating the upper and lower parts of the tray. Thus either or both of these parts may be removed independently from the model, making it easier to perform the desired operations without disturbing the teeth which have previously been accurately located.

In Figs. 13 and 14 a further modification of the holder is illustrated, such holder having the rear or bottom bar E and the top or front bar 3", the

rear bar having the attaching tab 2 and the upper and lower bars being integrally joined at their lateral ends in the same way as above described. However, in this construction the upper and lower bars are also united by a thin web it and stiffer than those previously described and may be desirable under certain conditions, although it limits the lateral adjustment of the teeth .and also requires a somewhat greater amount of material for making the holder.

In Fig, 15 there is illustrated an impression tray designed to receive both anterior and posterior teeth, such tray comprising the lower bar i and the upper bar 3 spaced apart to define between them a transversely elongate channel,

grooveor chamber for the reception of a body W of tooth-attaching material. The upper and lower bars are separated by an elongate slot it which permits the gingival ends of the teeth to be so located as actually to contact the crest of the gum ridge when the tray is placed in the mouth. The upper side of the tray is contoured to provide the channel 9 for the reception of the gum ridge and has the upper surface 2i! designed to support impression material The holders illustrated in Figs, 1, 5 and 13 are useful for holding teeth during shipment from the manufacturer to the dentist, dental dealer,

or dental laboratory, and while so holding the They also constitutedesirable I tray as hold the anterior teeth, and may be combined, as disclosed in application Serial No. 366,321, with a posterior impression tray in the making of a complete denture. On the other hand, the unitary tray illustrated in Fig. 15 may be employed in making complete dentures, such tray permitting adjustment of the teeth, both posterior and anterior, in a vertical direction so that the gingival ends of such teeth will actually contact the gum ridge while the impression is being taken. In the above description the holder has been considered as designed for holding upper teeth only, but obviously the invention is equally applicable to holders intended for holding lower teeth, andsuch references and illustrations as are herein concerned with a holder for upper teeth are to be understood as for convenience in description and not as limitations.

Moreover, while certain desirable embodiments of the invention have herein been illustrated by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to these precise arrangements but is to be regarded as broad- 1y inclusive of any and all equivalents thereof.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual manual adjustment and removal, said holder being substantially rigid and curved in horizontal section and comprising transversely extending bars designed to engage the gum ridge, said bars being so vertically spaced as to permit the gingival ends of teeth attached to the holder to project between the bars for actual contact with the crest of the gum ridge, and retaining means carried by the holder operative removably to secure teeth thereto.

2. As an article of manufacture a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual manual adjustment and removal, said holder being substantially rigid and curved. in horizontal section and comprising transversely extending upper and lower vertically spaced bars, the upper bar being located forwardly of the lower bar except adjacent to the ends of the bars, means uniting the bars at their ends, and a body of wax filling the space between the adjacent edges of the bars and constituting means for removably securing teeth to the holder, the bars being so spaced as to permit the gingival ends of the teeth to be disposed between them.

3. As an article of manufacture a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual manual adjustment and removal, said holder being a unitary body of moulded material and being substantiall rigid and curved in horizontal section and comprising transversely extending upper and lower vertically spaced bars, means connecting the bars at their ends, the upper bar having a lesser radius of curvature than the lower bar and projecting forwardly of the lower bar, the labial surface of the upper bar being contoured to'simulate gum tissue, the Vertical spacing of the bars being such as to permit the gingival ends of teeth to be disposed between thorn, the opposed surfaces or the bars being shaped to retain a body of tooth-attaching material disposed in the space between the bars.

4. As an article of manufacture a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual manual adjustment and removal, said holder be ing substantially rigid and. curved in horizontal section and comprising transversely extending upper and lower horizontally extending vertically spaced bars, means connecting the bars at their ends, the forward surface of the upper bar being contoured to simulate gum tissue and the rear urfaces of the bars being contoured to fit snugly against the gum ridge, the vertical spacing of the bars being such as to permit the neck portions of teeth to be disposed between them with the gingival ends of the teeth in actual contact with the gum ridge, the upper edge of the lower bar and the lower edge of the upper bar being concave, said edges being designed to engage a body of tooth-attaching material interposed between the bars and to anchor said material in place.

5. As an article of manufacture a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual manual adjustment and removal, said holder being a unitary body of moulded material and being substantially rigid and curved in horizontal section and comprising transversely extending upper and lower vertically spaced horizontally extending bars, and connecting means uniting them at their ends, said connecting means being of small horizontal section and easily severable thereby to separate the upper and lower bars, the rear surfaces of the bars being shaped to conform to portions of the gum ridge, the opposite edges of the bars being shaped to retain a body of dental wax interposed between them.

6. As an article of manufacture a holder adapt-- ed to receive artificial teeth for individual manual adjustment and removal, said holder being substantially rigid and curved in horizontal section and comprising transversely extending bars, the rear surfaces of the bars being shaped to conform to the surface of the gum ridge, the space between the bars being of such dimensions as to permit the gingival ends of teeth mounted in the holder to project into actual contact with the gum ridge, and a body of tooth-retaining material disposed between the bars.

7. As an article of manufacture a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual manual adjustment and removal, said holder consisting of an integral body of synthetic resin and being substantially rigid and curved in horizontal section and comprisin transversely extending upper and lower vertically spaced bars, means connecting the bars at their ends, the forward surface of the upper bar being contoured to simulate gum tissue, the vertical spacing of the bars being such as to permit the gingival 5 ends of teeth to be disposed between them, and a body of tooth-attaching dental wax disposed in the space between the bars, the bars being shaped to retain the wax in place.

8. As an article of manufacture a holder moulded as a unitary body from plastic material and adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual manual adjustment and removal, said holder being substantially rigid and curved in horizontal section and comprising transversely extending upper and lower vertically spaced bars and means integrally connecting the bars at their ends, the labial surface of the upper bar being designed and arranged to simulate gum tissue,

plastic tooth-retaining material adherent to the 1 forward surface of the lower bar, a plurality of teeth having attaching pins so disposed that their attaching pins are embedded in said body of attaching material with their incisal edges located below and forwardly of the lower bar with their gingival ends adjacent to the upper bar, and tooth-attaching material and adherent to the upper bar and which embraces the neck portions of the teeth 9. As a new article of manufacture a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for manual adjustment, removal and replacement individually, the holder being a unitary body of substantially rigid material and comprising an upper gum-simulating portion having an interior wall, the holder having a transversely elongate cavity posterior to the lower margin of said anterior wall, said wall having cusp portions adapted substantially to surround the neck portions of teeth disposed in the cavity with their neck portions posterior to said anterior wall, the upper rear wall of the cavity having a transversely extending slot through which the gingival ends of teeth may project into actual contact with the gum ridge, the surfaces of the holder which define said cavity being so shaped as to engage and retain a body of tooth-attaching material disposed in the cavity.

10. As a new article of manufacture a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for manual adjustment, removal and replacement individually, the holder being substantially rigid and comprising an upper, gum-simulating portion having an anterior wall, the holder having a transversely elongate cavity posterior to the lower margin of said anterior wall, said wall having cusp portions adapted substantially to embrace the neck portion of teeth disposed in the cavity, the cavity having a rear wall provided with laterally spaced openings through which the gingival ends of individual teeth, having their neck portions posterior to said anterior wall, may be projected so as actually to contact the gum ridge, the cavity having a lower wall adapted in cooperation with said anterior wall to engage and retain a body of tooth-retaining material disposed in the cavity.

11. As a new article of manufacture a holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for manual adjustment individually and in which the teeth may be placed and from which they may be removed without injury to or distortion of the holder, said holder being a unitar body of substantially rigid' shape-retaining. material and comprising vertically spaced upper and lower bars united at their ends, the rear surface of the upper bar being contoured to fit the labial surface of the gum ridge and its outer surface being contoured to simulate gum tissue, the lower edge of the upper bar being scalloped to provide toothpositioning recesses, the bars being so spaced as to permit the neck portions of the teeth to be disposed between them with their gingival ends posterior to the lower margin of the upper bar, the upper edge of the lower bar being designed to engage and retain a body of tooth-attaching wax disposed in the space between the bars.

12. As a new article of manufacture, a display holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual adjustment and removal manually, said holder being substantially rigid and curved in horizontal section and comprising transversely extending bars designed to engage the gum ridge, said bars being so vertically spaced as to permit the gingival ends of teeth attached to the holder to project between the bars for actual contact with the crest of the gum ridge, the outer surface of the upper bar being so contacted and ar ranged as to simulate gum tissue, and means on said holder serving to secure individual teeth to the holder with the necks of the teeth posterior to the lower margin of said upper bar for manual adjustment, removal and replacement without injuring the holder.

13. As a new article of manufacture, a display holder adapted to receive artificial teeth for individual adjustment, removal and replacement manually, said holder being substantially rigid and curved in horizontal section and comprising transversely extending bars designed to engage the gum ridge, the anterior surface of the upper bar being constructed and arranged to simulate gum tissue, said bars being so vertically spaced as to permit the gingival ends of teeth attached to the holder to project between the bars for m actual contact with the crest of the gum ridge, and a body of wax arranged in the space between the bars serving to secure individual teeth to the holder with the necks of the teeth posterior to the lower margin of said upper bar for manual individual adjustment, removal and replacement without injuring the holder, said body of wax softening under heat at a lower temperature than the holder.

SIMON MYERSON.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,5L 1,156. February 19th.

SIMON MYERSON.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1+, first column, line 72, claim 8, after "material" strike out "and"; and second column, line 5, claim 9, for "interior" read -anterior--; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of April, A. D. 19111;.-

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

